Teleconsultation to improve safety for critically ill infants and children before hospital care
Official title: Efficacy of Teleconsultation to Improve Prehospital Patient Safety for Critically Ill Infants and Children - A Multicenter, Simulation-based Randomized Control Trial
Funded at Boston Medical Center · NIH-11392263 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A telehealth approach connects pediatric experts to EMS teams during prehospital care to reduce harm to very young patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $746,787 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD115574-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392263 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children from birth up to 11 years old who experience critical illness or injury and are treated by EMS teams in the prehospital setting.
✕Less likely to help
Enthusiastic EMS teams without access to video teleconsultation or settings where technology is not feasible may see little or no benefit.
What this research studies
This project tests whether using video teleconsultation with pediatric specialists in the field can lower the risk of harm to critically ill infants and children before they reach the hospital. It uses real ambulances and in-situ simulation to measure patient safety, guiding EMS systems on the value of teleconsultation in fast-paced, high-stakes scenarios. The study builds on prior work validating a simulation toolkit and aims to show whether the intervention improves safety-related processes and outcomes in real prehospital settings. Results will inform how EMS systems might implement telehealth to support frontline responders and protect vulnerable pediatric patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce prehospital harm to seriously ill children and improve overall pediatric emergency care pathways.
How similar studies have gone: Prehospital teleconsultation and simulation methods have shown promise in improving safety in pediatric transport, with prior pilots indicating feasibility and acceptability.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Boyle, Tehnaz Parakh — Boston Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Boyle, Tehnaz Parakh
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.